Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-04-30
Norah ,pas q bod nrfra.,

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que tf1eo 70 speiK, our she could not. In
the young lady she recognized herself. She
had, with her own hands, presented thai
check and received gold for It.; she remem-
bered who had given her the check, and to
this, in the handsome boy with the red tie
she recognized her own brother DAFT: not
because he, too, wore Q red tie. but because
he had told her, talking trifles over an even.
ing pipe, how he had cashed one Of Mr.. MUIR
ridges checks that morning, and for whom
be had cashed it.
1nese Two cnecks, casnea Dy the Young 4soy
Murridge,. think 1t Is q DIRE ,dful charge to
bring against anybody, We're they really
forgertes! You may have forgotten. YOU
know. They may have been your own.
How do you know for certain that they
were forgeriesf
What did shn mean3 What ON earth did she man
by talking In this wayf
They were not my own. They were forged" he
repeated. sternly. ~ know that from the dates and
from the number Of the chacks"
"Nofah," he said, presently, "you have been q good
e1fi 10 me; q very clever and good girl you've been
to me for i've years Acknowledge I'll feel 1t. !
wish had raised your sa arv before. You deserve
more: you've been . very good girl You have car
ried through many difficult cases for me. I don't
know what shou d have done in lots OF cases W tn,
out your help: This robbery distresses me. I did
NJ eAAuN ACOu1u uASS U&eu 80 UuCu OlSIThHSeu 10y
anything. Isay 1t ia a most distressing thing to me"
he repeated his words. and seemed at . oss how to
express himself. 'Now l viii. give you one more sigu
OF my confidence in you-a complete proof Of my con
ndence in you. Twill put this casr, TOO, into youl
hands Do you hear? You shall carry 1t through
Tor me-"
She made no sign whatever.
VIII give 1t to you for your own Investigation
You shall find out. Eorah, who took the checks from
my check book. who filled them and signed them
who presented them. You shall help me to brina
pale cheek and eyes down-dropped. and she trem
oled. Her hands trembled. her lips trembled. hei
shoulders trembled IT shall be your task. Will
you undertake itT
Still she made NO sign.
III may bel say It may be-that some excuses
what men call excuses-tdlo tn fngs, but they are
sometimes accepted may be found. The thing may
have been done by some one to help another persnu
in trouble. Oh, there are people so foolish and weak
that they will even incur the risk of crime and dis
grace and punishment for others. Women have
been known to do such things fos their prodiga
lovers ana their unworthy brothers. Find out, II
you can, such an excuse, and when you bring me the
name OF the guilty person will consider how fai
that excuse may avail In saving him from punish
ment-"
Spare mel" cried Norah. "oh. I will do ANYTHING
else that you ask mc-anything else; but I cannot dc
this"
"whv notr"
"Because I cannot can give you no rea~on."
you refuse to do It Why7 Idon't ask you this
time, Norah. command you. II you are sti to re
WA III my 8eTVlce, undertake this inve>tlRatiOn.'
Il will not. l cannot. | will rather leave you
service."
Then. before we part. read this paper. 1t wa,
p pnnr a1 IN my 1n'o hands ass this morning BY y my son; ,, He !
also his old friend and companion. Your family
have all been kind to him. Yet he has been com
PEELED to write this report for me. Read it. Thinl
OF the pain 1t must have given him to write 1t; anc
the pain. yes, the deep pain, 1t gives me to read It,"
Norah read it. When she came to the place whert
the writer spoke Of herself size read slowly. not able
~ Rtct N ,,rlaurA-~l ~ T1-- it, -.laH ~Ver /.
amusement from the pain Of the blow. which wa
like the stabbing OF a sharp stilctto. But she recov
cred, and went on to the end. When she had quite
finished 1t, she sunk into her chair and buried hel
face in her hands, sobbing and crying without re
straint. The man who had told her he loved her. and
had tmplorcd her to marry him one day, had don't
this thing the next. The boy In the outer ofilct
heard her crying. and wondered whether now The
time had arrived for his own appearance.
Not yet, he thought; not yet. Above all things ar
opportune appearance and a dramatic effect!
What have YOU to SayT' asked Mr. Murridge.
"Cl, Dick. Dick"
1t was all she had to say. Presently she lifted he,
head and dashed away her tears, and proudly gave
back the paper to Dir. hurridse.
q, have nothing to say" she replied. what Il
there to say7'
Here is a distinct charge against you. A mos,
serious charge. Tho most serious charge that could
be made against you"
II have nothing to say. Stay! Yes! The banb
clerk. he saws, can identify two persons who pre-
eAte SueCAA ne ucc uDt De CNlIeu upon 10 90 20
They were myself and my brother Hyacintn. l have
nothing more to say. l will answer no questions
You must do as you please
have done all could for you. 1ofered you you
chance for confession and for excuses-"
Confession! He says confession"
AND you meet me with the daring avowal tha
you and your brother Presented those two forgec
cheeks. Is it possible? You!"
The two checks I did not say the two forget
checks. 1t Is quite true. drew twelve pounds wi /
one check. and Danodil drew twelve pounds witt
another"
The cir! repeated this avowal. looking Mr.. Muir
ridge straight In the face. without the l.aI shrinking
or shame.
Forged or not. IT is tho same thing. Since yor
take those checks?'
Why did | take those checks, Oh. I have heel
with this man for FIVE years, and now-now he ask
me why l stole hi, checks!'
Tell ME. Norah. Yes, you have been with me nv.
year,. You have been no honest and faithful that
Cannot understand 1t. Tell me why. Icannot un
d.rstand t."
u Will answer no question: Take up the Gaze fol
yourself, Mr.. Muntdee. You will find me at my
mothers. or with Cali-ta. when you want me. Yor
must take 1t up. You cannot let 1t stay where 1t ia
You shall not. When you have come to tho truth
you will understand why l refused to speak"
Tel me the truth now. then Sorah.'
love and friendship fond and foolish things, wa
strangely moved bv this business. He had though,
that when he could lay his hands upon the person
who hal robbed him. he wou.d straightway hale
sS AAA6" ~ Nv ~ pttys blu
indeed. with rcvengeful Joy. But that person stood
before him. convicted by hts sons evidence and on,
OF her own mouth. and he was moved to pity.
Tell me the truth. Norah." he repeated. "Fol
Gods sake. tell me the truth. and nothing mora shall
be said about 1t. No one shall. know: It shall b. b
tween US two. We will all go on as before. Only
my girl, tell me the truth"
II cannot-l cannot. You must find 1t yourself.
presented one OF those checks. and my brother pre-
sented another. That S all l can tell you"
She was no longer pale. She did not tremble am
more. IN her cheek there was q burning spot, which
might have been the outward and ris:b e sign OF con
scious guilt. As such NJ. Murridye read it. On the
other hand, 1t might betoken a wrath too deep 10,
words But as such he did not read it. Whatever II
was, her eyes were ala ne as Ahe turned her face
once more 70 Nr. Murridge. Is she stood with the
door open
II advise you for once to follow your own maxims
You have always advised me to trust no one. Yet
you have sometimes trusted me. In this case trus,
no one but yoursel When you are sai tsned, ID
will ask me to come back to you. Tai then you wLl
zee me here no longer"
The Office boy listened.
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